RotoWire News: Eovaldi (elbow) said that he would be fully healthy when the Rays begin their first spring workout Feb. 14, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "I'm just ready,'' Eovaldi said. "I was healthy and ready to go at the end of the year last year so I went into the offseason confident, as if I was activated, with no restrictions. The offseason's been great, no issues, no little injuries, so I'm ready for spring.'' (2/7/2018)

Profile: After a successful half-season in Double-A, Eovaldi made the jump to the majors in August. His performance there was problematic, as his 5.97 strikeout rate nearly matched his 5.19 walk rate. Eovaldi's 3.63 ERA may have looked pretty on the surface, but his 4.35 FIP and 4.80 xFIP are more indicative of his current skill-set. With the signings of Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang this off-season, it looks like Eovaldi may get some more seasoning in Triple-A. He's got some promise as a Major League starter, but he'll need to show improvement in the minors first. If he ends up in the pen with his two pitches, he'll be useful as a starter-eligible bullpen arm. ottoneu and deep holds league managers should pay attention. (Chris Cwik)

The Quick Opinion: The Dodgers' off-season signings seem to indicate that Eovaldi will get some much needed seasoning in the minors this season. While he won't be all that valuable this season because of his role, it should help his development.

Profile: Not even 23 until February, Eovaldi has pitched roughly the equivalent of a full season in the bigs over the last two seasons, and he's acquitted himself well with a 4.15 ERA/4.18 FIP. If he progresses no further, his quality mid-90s fastball and usable slider may already make him a roughly league-average starter. At his age, that's impressive, so there's obviously room for improvement as he gains experience, but his future may be in the bullpen if he can't develop a quality third offering. His upside is well short of "ace", but there's still a lot of value to be had here, especially with a wide-open Miami rotation offering him time to grow. (Mike Petriello)

The Quick Opinion: Eovaldi was adequate in 10 starts for the Dodgers before being dealt to Miami in the Hanley Ramirez trade, and the Marlins now have a young, cost-controlled starter with some considerable upside.

Profile: For a pitcher who brings as much heat as Eovaldi does, you'd expect him to get more strikeouts. In 2013, his average fastball velocity was 96.1 mph and he dialed it up over 100 mph on occasion. Yet even with his huge fastball, Eovaldi struck out just 6.6 batters per nine innings. The problem isn't just that he lacks quality secondary pitches, it's that he hardly ever throws them. Last year, over 70% of his pitches were fastballs. Velocity matters far less when major-league hitters know the heat's coming. The 23-year-old's best secondary offering is his slider, which is a slightly above average offering. He also throws a curveball and a change up, but both pitches are well below average. If he can't develop his secondary stuff, a move to the bullpen wouldn't be a big surprise. That's not to say Eovaldi is without value, however. In 260.1 career innings, he has a respectable 3.84 ERA. (Scott Strandberg)

The Quick Opinion: There's certainly room for Eovaldi in every NL-only league. Despite the mediocre strikeout and walk rates, his FIP has improved in each of the last two years, as has his line-drive rate. He should be able to keep his ERA somewhere near four, and he has at least a little bit of upside if he can improve his secondary stuff.

Profile: Eovaldi, owner of an overpowering fastball, began the year on a fantastic run, utilizing his improved command to post an ERA in the mid-twos in April before posting a 4.80 (3.65 FIP) mark the rest of the way. It all comes down to one thing: he doesn’t have a third offering. In order to survive versus left-handed batters, Eovaldi needs to have pinpoint command with his slider. He had that at the beginning of the year, but that command faded down the stretch, and so did his results. His command stayed in the form of lower walks, but spotting pitches in order to limit damage was another story. In totality, left-handed hitters hurt Eovaldi again, while right-handers were held in check. Eovaldi still his has heat, and that’s important, but until he’s able to pair it with better secondary offerings his career arc might seem a little stale. Watch the curve or the change in the spring for signs of life. (Landon Jones)

The Quick Opinion: Eovaldi seemed to grow in early 2014, but quickly reverted back into old form. Without a third pitch, Eovaldi doesn’t seem likely to make a jump into uncharted territory. He’s a streaming option in some leagues, and perhaps worth a flier in others until he proves otherwise, especially now that his surroundings aren't quite as friendly as they used to be.

Profile: Nate Eovaldi has always had an electric fastball. Debuting in 2011, the right-hander’s fastball sat at 94 mph, and it’s actually climbed since. Eovaldi’s fastball sat at nearly 97 mph over 27 starts, tops among pitchers who threw at least 140 innings. What Eovaldi hasn’t had, though, is a secondary pitch that was even average, let alone a weapon. That changed in the second half of 2015, when he found a weapon that a majority of baseball has shunned recently: the split-fingered fastball. Splitters have gone out of style because of an uneasy link to injuries, but Eovaldi is bringing sexy back, making it a weapon that he’s willing to throw in any count, partially because it sits at 88 mph. Eovaldi’s split-piece really took off in the second half, and his confidence in the pitch showed: he threw it a quarter of the time, supplanting his slider as his second-most thrown offering. Even with a legitimate secondary pitch, Eovaldi’s results weren’t excellent, but they were good, and that’s an important step in the right direction for a starter who’ll barely be 26 years old come spring. Eovaldi will be a sexy sleeper candidate, but that may lead to a hype train that outpaces the results. Particularly if that elbow inflammation he suffered in September morphs into something more sinister. (Zach Sanders)

The Quick Opinion: Nate Eovaldi developed a solid offspeed offering in 2015, and he’ll look to carry over his progress to the 2016 season. Eovaldi will be a popular sleeper selection, which may lead to him being overvalued.

Profile: Once a hard thrower with a great new splitter, Eovaldi probably won't pitch in 2017 after having surgery and being non-tendered, so he's sunk to a new low. If there's good news, it will come from his new team. If he's back in the National League and throwing that splitter 40% of the time, he could be a decent pitcher.... in 2018. (Eno Sarris)

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